SUPPORTING CHILDREN AND FAMILIES

​

​

Bridgeway’s Clinical Services team consists of a Clinical Consultant (Clinician), Clinical Associate(s) and Clinical Assessor(s). The Clinical Services team collaborate with Foster Families, Bridgeway Staff, Children and Youth to deliver excellent quality care, services and outcomes. Foster Families, Foster Children/Youth benefit greatly through the delivery of direct services such as the completion of assessments and reports, therapeutic interventions and programs for Foster Children/Youth as well as receiving indirect services such as professional consultations, presentations, attendance and participation in pertinent agency meetings.

 

Clinical Services will:

​

• Assess and evaluate Foster Child/Youth's presenting needs and/or challenges through the use of case history, interview, observation and valid assessment tools

• Provide individual or group counseling services to assist Foster Children/Youth in recovery from trauma symptoms and other anxiety-related issues and promote more effective personal coping, social-emotional development and adjustment

 

Clinical Assessors complete Child and Adolescent Functioning Assessment Scale (CAFAS)

​

CAFAS Assessments are completed for all children and youth 5-18 years of age. It is the "gold standard tool" for assessing day to day functioning and tracking changes over time. It has 20 years of research backing its validity and sensitivity in detecting change in behaviours.

​

The CAFAS is only one of five assessment tools that have been specifically validated in child welfare settings (FFTA, 2008).  It has also used by every Children’s Mental Health agency in Ontario.  Bridgeway has been using CAFAS since 2008  to assist with the development of individual treatment plans and as a means to track progress. It is also used on an aggregate basis to measure overall collective outcomes.

 

Trauma Assessments are completed by Clinical Consultant (Clinician) 

​

These assessments are provided for children and youth who are referred due to concerns regarding physical, behavioural, academic, social and developmental indications of early neglect, abuse, exposure to domestic violence or other traumatic events. An assessment is intended to identify whether any signs/symptoms of trauma are present in each child, the extent to which their functioning may be impacted and any necessary recommendations regarding follow up and/or treatment.

​

The assessments are based on a complete File review, collateral and clinical interviews; along with various clinical tools such as the Silver Drawing Test (Silver, 2007), art-based assessment material (Malchiodi, 2008) and Child Trauma Questionnaire (Kenardy, 2006; adapted) and The Child Dissociative Experience Scale (CDES/PTSI).

​